Joel Osteen - Do Your Part

0:00In Second Chronicles 32, the King of Syria had a huge army. They had invaded that whole region, conquering all these large fortified cities by tearing down the walls and capturing the people. The city of Jerusalem was next in line. Word quickly spread throughout the Israelite camp. The people began to panic, so worried thinking, what are we going to do? There's so much bigger than us. King Hezekiah said to the Israelites in verse 7, don't be afraid of this mighty army, for there is a power far greater on our side. They may have a great army, but they are just men. We have the Lord our God to fight our battles for us. When you face big enemies, big oppositions, you have to remind yourself, our God is bigger than the cancer. He's bigger than the addiction. He's bigger than the people that are trying to stop you.

1:01The way to stay in faith is don't talk about how big the problem is, talk about how big your God is. He flung stars into space. He spoke worlds into existence. He healed my mother of terminal cancer. He gave us the compact center. The good news is right now. He's breathing in your direction. He's pushing back forces of darkness. He's lining up the breaks that you need. Don't let fear clutter your mind. Don't let doubt keep you from your miracle. Don't let people talk you out of your dreams. The King of Syria sent a letter to the Israelites threatening them. It said, we've conquered all these cities. We've captured all these people. None of their God saved them. What makes you think your God is going to save you? The enemy will always try to defeat you first in your thoughts. Things like you'll never get well. You grandmother died of the same thing. You'll never break the addiction.

2:02That problem will never turn around. Don't believe those lies. He wouldn't be telling you that unless he knew it was on the way. Do like Hezekiah. Yes, this problem may be big, but I know a secret. My God is much bigger. He's on the throne. He has the final say what he started in my life. He will finish. Had Hezekiah not been proactive to guard his mind and to speak victory to the people, they would all panic, lived in fear. Instead, they stayed in peace. Verse 21 says, God sent an angel that destroyed the whole enemy army. That King went home in disgrace, returned to his land. God knows how to vindicate you. He knows how to turn the problem around. One angel, why I've got the whole bunch. Now stay in faith. When you're tempted to worry, turn it into worship.

3:02Father, thank you that your angels are working in my life. Thank you that no weapon formed against me will prosper. Thank you that to trap the enemy set for me, they will fall in themselves. If we're going to keep the clutter out, we have to know what's our job and what's God's job. Sometimes we're frustrated because we're trying to do what only God can do. You can't make yourself get well. Make somebody do what's right. Make a door open. Our part is to believe. Our part is to stay in faith and then let God do his part. Trust him to work it out. His a guy could have thought, I know God's on my side. I'm going to go attack this army, show them who they're dealing with. We wouldn't be reading about it. I'm not saying to always sit back and be passive, but there are some battles you're not supposed to find. Let God fight them for you. Even with the compact sinner, we had a three year legal battle. And yes, we did what we could, but we recognize God, this is too big for us. Only you can make this happen.

4:12So we're going to be still and know that you are God. Like with His a guy, God stepped in and made things happen that we could have never made happen. But while you're waiting for things to change, that's a test. It's easy to live worried, focused on your problem. They get about how it's never going to work out. No, clear out that clutter. As I said, if you'll keep your mind stayed on him, God will keep you in perfect peace. Our part is to keep our mind on him. God, thank you that you're in control. Thank you that you are for me. Thank you that you're destiny for my life will come to pass. If we do our part, God will do his part. He'll not only keep you in peace, but he'll get you to where you're supposed to be. In the scripture, there were three Hebrew teenagers that were about to be thrown into a fiery furnace because they wouldn't bow down to the king's golden idol.

5:12The king threatened them one last time. They said, King, we're still not going to bow down. We know our God will deliver us. They had this attitude of faith. But what they said next was the real key. They went on to say, even if he doesn't deliver us, we're still not going to bow down. That's a powerful position. When you can say, I'm going to stay in peace, if it works out my way, and I'm going to stay in peace, if it doesn't work out my way, then you take away all the power of the enemy. If you're only going to be happy, if it happens your way, you're setting yourself up for disappointment. Why don't you take this next step? God, this is what I'm believing for. This is what I want, but God, you know what's best for me. And if it doesn't happen my way, I'm still going to stay in peace. I'm still going to have a song of praise. I'm still going to be good to people. That's what allows God to do amazing things.

6:15But there's a lot of noise these days. There's a lot of drama, things that we can get pulled into, worry, conflict, jealousy. That may be all around us, but it doesn't have to get in us. Pay attention to what you're allowing in your spirit. Just because there's conflict with your relatives doesn't mean it has to get in you. Don't take that bait, stay on the high road. Maybe at the office, you could be frustrated. People are playing politics, not treating you right. It's easy to let that sour your day. Come home negative, no clear out that clutter. Your time is too valuable to live it upset. Better. This day is a gift from God. Once we live it, we can never get it back. Sometimes we become so hooked on drama. So used to living uptight and worrying about this situation, putting out this fire, fighting with this relative, we've forgotten what it's like to be in peace, to not have all that clutter.

7:22That is not the way God created us in the Garden of Eden. Before they ate the forbidden fruit, there wasn't any noise, any drama, any jealousy, backstabbing, politics. It was peaceful, joyful. And no, it's not like that now, but you can choose to live from a place of peace. You don't have to let the outside get on the inside. Maybe you become comfortable with the clutter. Like this lady, you don't recognize that it's limiting your vision, that it's blocking your potential. Not only that, it doesn't smell good. Worried doesn't look good on you. Living guilty, bitter, offended, angry, that is not your style. Clear out that clutter and you'll step into new levels. I read where a sheep won't give birth in a noisy place. When it's about to go into labor, it will leave the flock, get away from all the commotion, all the busyness, and find a quiet place.

8:24In that peaceful atmosphere, it will give birth. In the same way, you won't give birth to your dreams in a noisy place. You won't give birth to that breakthrough, you're believing for if you're worried, if your mind is stressed. You won't give birth to your potential if your mind is full of hurts, regrets, bitterness. You may wonder why God is not doing anything, perhaps He's waiting for you to find a quiet place. It may be noisy all around you, but in your mind you can be in peace. When you know God is in control, when you know He's directing your steps, when you know nothing can stand against Him, then you can live out of a quiet place. David said, God makes me to lie down in green pastures. He leads me by the steel waters. You could think David had an easy life. Everything must have gone his way. He lived in the green pastures. It was just the opposite.

9:28David's life was full of difficulties. People trying to stop him. Army's trying to defeat him. His own family didn't believe in him. Yet he said, I lied down in green pastures by steel waters. He wasn't just talking about physically, he was talking about in his mind. Despite all that came against him, he chose to live in a place of peace. God is saying to you, come into the green pastures. Come by the steel waters. You don't have to carry all that clutter. It's time to get rid of the offense, the hurts, the guilt, the anger. There are some new things God wants you to birth. You know where you're going to birth them by the steel waters. If you'll be steel, you will know He is God. You will see Him show out in your life. I'm asking us to unclutter our minds. Living guilty is not your destiny. Going around down on yourself, thinking problems are too big is not who you were created to be. Empty out the negative and program your mind with what God says about you.

10:41You will see Him show out in your life. You will see Him show out in your life.